Meagan's First Scholarship Essay!

I give to you the first essay from Meagan, the recipient of our 2012 Summer Private Pilot Scholarship. The Girls With Wings Scholarship Program provides funds for flight training to selected individuals with a willingness to be superlative GWW role models. Winners show potential to continue her interaction with the GWW organization, via the website and events, so she can assist GWW in encouraging more young girls to have an interest in aviation. Part of the obligation for being awarded the scholarship is to submit at least one picture and an associated journal entry once a month for three months to the Girls With Wings blog to share with others her training, as well as email a final essay summarizing how the scholarship helped her, what she learned and her intent to continue her work as a role model and volunteer for the Girls With Wings, Inc., organization. 

 

Stay tuned for more essays from our scholarship winners. And now, may we present Meagan:

As Lynda mentioned, in the announcement of the Private Pilot Flight Training Scholarship, I successfully passed my checkride on July 21st, 2012.  It was the best day of my life!!!  I had never worked so hard for something that I truly wanted.  During my checkride, I was nervous, scared, and confident, all at the same time!  Everything that I had been working toward came down to this one deciding moment.  I cried when the examiner told me I passed my checkride.  Passing meant the world to me! My tears were tears of joy, excitement, relief, and a huge sense of accomplishment!  My flight instructor later told me that I was the most prepared person he had ever seen take a checkride.  Meanwhile, all I could think about was how it could have gone better and how I could have known more!  That's one of the things I love so much about flying.  When you obtain a private pilots certificate, you are obtaining a life long license to learn!  I learn something new every time I fly.  That's why I encourage everyone to fly as much and as often as they can!  The experience gained is priceless.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said:

"You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face.You must do the thing you think you cannot do."


There were many times, in my flight training, when I felt fear and my self-confidence was low. I think my biggest fear was fear of failure, but just like Amelia said "fears are paper tigers."  Fears are only as real as you make them! Every time I faced my fears, put myself out there, and kept moving forward, I became a stronger person!   Learning how to fly will change you.  I challenge you to face your fears!

Watch me face one of my fears in my first solo video!  My first solo was on April 25, 2012.  I hope my video inspires girls to want to complete their first solo flight.



Now, that I'm a Private Pilot, I get to take my friends and family flying! I'm going to fly my best friend to Catalina Island for her birthday this month :) Flying is so much fun, especially when you are the pilot in command! You can explore new horizons and go places you've never gone before! Being a girl is way fun, but being a girl who flys is way funner!!!

Happy flying, everyone!  Go out and be the next girl to pursue her dream and earn her wings!

~Meagan Gearin